By Floyd Christie
Defending champion  Warren Mc Kay, fresh from beating the field in the recent National Road Race championships, will start as favourites today when the Roraima Bikers Club NAMILCO `Wheat Up’ 70-mile road race takes place on the East Bank Public Road.

Last year, Mc Kay got the better of second and third placed finishers Alonso Greaves and Ian Jackson respectively and will be looking for another title repeat.

The race pedals off at 8am in front of the Two Brothers gas station, Eccles, proceeds along the East Bank Road to Long Creek on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway and returns to Eccles for the finish.

The Veterans will turn back at the junction of the Linden/Soesdyke Highway.

Other categories to be featured are Juniors and Mountain Bikes.

The top spot in the Junior category is wide open as last year’s winner, Geron Williams is absent from the racing circuit this year.

Top contenders for the junior title will be Christopher Holder who is back in winning form, Berbice’s top junior cyclist, Neil Reece and the ever competitive Paul DeNobrega.

Among the Veterans’ last year’s winner Gary Benjamin is again tipped to defeat the field although Lyndon Blackman who finished third at last year’s meet and Jackson can upset the form books.

Prizes in the form of cash, trophies and medals will be presented to the winners and other top performers at a presentation ceremony in the NAMILCO compound immediately following the race.

Cash prizes will be presented to the first six finishers in the Senior category and the first three finishers in the Junior, Veterans and Mountain Bikes categories.

Trophies will also be awarded to the winner in each category while medals will be presented to all cyclists who participate in the meet.